Pão de Queijo
Pão de queijo comes from Minas Gerais in Brazil and is now eaten all over the country, with coffee at breakfast or as a snack. Tapioca starch replaces wheat flour, which is why the rolls puff up hollow and crisp on the outside but stay soft and stretchy inside. Pouring hot milk and oil over the starch first is the step that gives them that chew.
By Mei Lin Tan
Published
- Prep Time
- 15 mins
- Cook Time
- 25 mins
- Cool dough
- 10 mins
- Total Time
- 50 mins
- Servings
- 24 cheese breads
How do you make Pão de Queijo?
To make pão de queijo, bring 160 ml milk, 80 ml oil and salt to a boil and pour it over 240 g tapioca starch. Stir into a sticky dough, cool for 10 minutes, then beat in 2 eggs and 120 g grated Parmesan. Roll into 24 balls and bake at 200°C (400°F) for 20-25 minutes, until puffed and golden.
- Total time
- 50 mins
- Calories
- 185 per serving
- Protein
- 5 g
- Yield
- 24 cheese breads
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Method
- Baking
Ingredients
Equipment
Baking sheet · Parchment paper · Small saucepan · Large mixing bowl · Wooden spoon or stand mixer with paddle · 1 1/2 tbsp cookie scoop (optional)
Quick Directions
Heat the oven
Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F) and line a baking sheet.
Scald the starch
Boil the milk, oil and salt and stir it into the tapioca starch.
Cool the dough
Cool the dough for 10 minutes.
Beat in the eggs
Beat in the eggs a little at a time until smooth and stretchy.
Add the cheese and shape
Mix in the cheese and roll into 24 balls.
Bake
Bake for 20-25 minutes until puffed and golden.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Follow these detailed steps to make the perfect pão de queijo.
Heat the oven
Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Put the tapioca starch in a large mixing bowl.
Scald the starch
Bring the milk, oil and salt to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat, watching closely as it can foam up. Pour it straight over the tapioca starch and stir hard with a wooden spoon until there is no dry starch left. The dough will look lumpy, sticky and gluey; that is normal.
Cool the dough
Leave the dough for about 10 minutes, until it is warm but no longer hot to the touch, so it doesn't cook the eggs.
Beat in the eggs
Add the beaten eggs a little at a time, beating well after each addition, until the dough is smooth, glossy and stretchy. A stand mixer with the paddle makes this easy; by hand it takes 2-3 minutes of firm stirring. The dough should be soft and very sticky but hold its shape when scooped.
Add the cheese and shape
Mix in the Parmesan until evenly combined. With oiled hands or a 1 1/2 tbsp scoop, shape the dough into 24 balls about 3 cm across and set them 5 cm apart on the baking sheet.
Bake
Bake for 20-25 minutes, without opening the oven for the first 15 minutes, until the rolls are puffed, firm on the outside and golden in spots. Cool for a few minutes and serve warm.
Recipe Tips
- Tapioca starch and tapioca flour are the same product. Look for it in the baking or gluten-free aisle. Don't swap in wheat flour, cornstarch or potato starch; only tapioca gives the hollow, chewy texture.
- In Brazil the cheese is usually a firm, aged queijo minas. Parmesan is the easiest substitute to find, or use half Parmesan and half grated aged cheddar or Gruyere.
- If the dough is too runny to hold a ball shape, stir in more tapioca starch, 1 tbsp at a time. If it is stiff and dry, add a splash of milk.
- Traditional Parmesan is made with animal rennet. To keep the rolls vegetarian, use a vegetarian hard cheese.
- Pão de queijo is best warm from the oven. They firm up as they cool, so re-warm leftovers before serving.
Variations
- Garlic and herb: add 1/2 tsp garlic powder and 1 tbsp chopped chives with the cheese.
- Stretchy centres: replace 40 g of the Parmesan with grated low-moisture mozzarella.
- Tangier and puffier: if you can find Brazilian sour tapioca starch (polvilho azedo), use it for half the starch.
- Party size: shape 40 smaller balls and bake for 15-18 minutes.
Nutrition (per serving)
| Calories | 185 |
|---|---|
| Protein | 5 g |
| Carbs | 19 g |
| Fat | 10 g |
| Saturated fat | 2.6 g |
| Fibre | 0 g |
| Sugar | 0.5 g |
| Sodium | 315 mg |
Estimated from the listed ingredients; values vary by brand.
Related Recipes
Storing & Reheating
- Fridge
- Keep baked pão de queijo in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezer
- Freeze unbaked balls on a tray until firm, then bag them for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen at 200°C (400°F) for 25-30 minutes. Baked rolls also freeze for up to 1 month.
- Reheat
- Warm in a 180°C (350°F) oven or air fryer for 5-8 minutes, until crisp outside and soft inside.
Pão de Queijo FAQs
What is pão de queijo made of?
Pão de queijo is made from tapioca starch, milk, oil, eggs, salt and cheese. There is no wheat flour, so it is naturally gluten-free. The tapioca starch gives the rolls their crisp shell and chewy, stretchy centre.
Can I make pão de queijo with regular flour?
No. Wheat flour makes a dense, bready roll instead of the light, hollow and chewy one you want. Tapioca starch, sold as tapioca flour, is essential and is easy to find in most supermarkets.
Why did my pão de queijo come out flat?
Flat rolls usually mean the dough was too wet. Add more tapioca starch, 1 tbsp at a time, until it holds a ball shape. Also make sure the oven is fully heated to 200°C (400°F) and keep the door closed for the first 15 minutes.
Can I freeze pão de queijo?
Yes, and it freezes better unbaked. Freeze the shaped balls on a tray, then store them in a freezer bag for up to 3 months and bake straight from frozen at 200°C (400°F) for 25-30 minutes.
Is pão de queijo gluten-free?
Yes. Tapioca starch, milk, eggs, oil and cheese are all naturally gluten-free. If you need to avoid gluten strictly, check that your tapioca starch is labelled gluten-free, since some brands are packed alongside wheat.
Disclaimer
- Nutrition information is an estimate based on the listed ingredients. It changes with the brands, portion sizes and swaps you use.
- Read ingredient labels for allergens and for diet claims such as gluten-free or vegan. Products and their ingredients can change.
- Cooking times are a guide, since ovens, air fryers and slow cookers all run differently. Use a food thermometer and cook meat, poultry and fish to the safe internal temperatures in government food safety guidance.
- This recipe is general information, not medical or nutrition advice. If you have an allergy, a health condition or a special diet, check with a qualified health professional.
